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BIRTHPLACE 



DANIEL WEBSTER 



♦<^ 



Franklin 



New Hampshire 



_BIRTH PLACE 

if 
DANIEL WEBSTER 

Franklin, New Hampshire. 



Brikf Story of 'its Rkstoratiox 



AND PkKSENTATION TO THE STATE 

Second Edition 



1922 



TOWNE & ROBIE 

PRINTERS 
FRANKLIN, N. H. 



DANIEL WEBSTER 



After the peace of 1763, a company 
from Kingston, N. H., was given a grant 
of land which they named Stevenstown. 
It was situated on the west banks of the 
Merrimack and Pemigewasset rivers. 
Opposite its eastern boundry this last 
named river united with the Winnipesau- 
kee and formed the ^Merrimack. This 
grant bordered on these rivers for four 
miles and extended westward to Kear- 
sarge mountain. Later it was called 
Salisbury, and the eastern part of the 
grant was taken in 1826 as a part of the 
new town of Franklin. 

One of the members of this party was 
Ebenezer Webster. His ancestors settled 
in Hampton, N. H., some sixteen years 
after the landing of the Pilgrims at Ply- 
mouth. ^Ir. Webster had already dis- 
tinguished himself in the various conflicts 
which raged at that time, and had at- 
tained the rank of Captain. At the time 
of coming to the new township he was 
married, but had no children. It fell to 
the lot of this young couple to draw a 



plot of land un the northern boundary of 
the township, and when Mr. Webster 
had built his log cabin, there was no 
white inhabitant to the north until 
Canada was reached. It was probably 
in 1764 that Mr. Webster built this cabin 
beside a brook at the foot of a broad 
meadow. The land Avas not very fertile, 
and to assist in obtaining a living a saw 
mill was built and power obtained by a 
dam which covered with water a part of 
the broad meadow. 

Here five children were born, and at 
the end of ten years the mother suc- 
cumbed to hard labor, scanty fare and 
rigorous climate. 'Mr. Webster was 
much discouraged. He sadly felt the 
need of a motherly woman to care for his 
little ones. The story is told that some 
of his fellow townsmen advised him of a 
woman living in Newburyport near the 
mouth of the IMerrimack, who would 
make him a good wife. Mr. Webster 
left his children in the care of a good 
neighbor and mounting his horse went 
back to his former home. The next 
morning he called at the home of Miss 
Abigail Eastman, told her of his home 
and condition, said he had no time for a 
courtship, but would she marry him and 
return to Salisbury at once? She con- 
sented, and the second morning, riding 
on the horse behind her husband, she 
started for her new home. Whether or 

4 



not this story is true, it is a matter of 
record that she made him a good wife, 
became the mother of five children, one 
of them the greatest citizen ever born in 
the Granite state. 

A few years after he built a small, two 
room, frame house. He did this before 
the birth of Daniel as we learn from a 
statement of the latter that it was not his 
privilege to be born in a log cabin, as it 
was that of his brother Ezekiel. 
Ebenezer A\^ebster is described as a man 
of great power, one who, had he received 
an education, would have risen high in 
official position. But he says that he 
never entered a school house for the pur- 
pose of study. He was, however, far 
from beint^: an isfnorant man. Not onlv 
could he read and write, but he acquired 
considerable knowledge, understood law, 
and served for several years as judge of 
Hillsborough county. 

By his first wife he had five children. 
Two of these died young. The others 
were Susannah, who married John Colby 
and lived in the brick house, the last 
house in Franklin on the state road to 
Hill, and now a part of the Golden Rule 
Farm Homes ; David and Joseph. 

The children of the second wife were 
also five in number, and named Me- 
hitable, Abigail. Ezekiel, Daniel and 
Sarah. All of the children, except the 
two last, were i)orn in the log cabin. 



The site of this cabin was marked by 
a stone claiming to be the real site of 
Daniel A\'ebster's birth. This stone was 
set after the death of Judge George W. 
Xesmith. and by recjuest made before 
his death. It was set without careful 
investigation, and the real site was not 
fully discovered and proved until after 
the W^ebster Birthplace association was 
formed, and the work of restoration un- 
dertaken. 

Soon after the birth of Daniel, the 
exact date being in doubt and variously 
stated as from one to three years. Captain 
^^^ebster bought a farm at what is no^v 
called AX'ebster Place, and moved from 
the hills to the intervale of the Merri- 
mack river. G. T. Curtis, in his Life of 
Daniel AA'ebster, gives the date as 1783. 
However that may be, it is known that 
the Captain retained the ownership of the 
original farm for several years and con- 
ducted there the saw mill which he had 
built. This saw mill was on the brook 
easterly of the birth]:)lace. The stone 
foundation of the mill and of the abut- 
ments of the dam are now plainly dis- 
cernable. A part of the old upright saw 
which was used in this mill has been un- 
earthed and is now in the restored house. 
This little sketch will not allow of an 
extended history of Daniel. Suffice it 
to say that he learned to read at his 
mother's knee, and with the aid of older 

6 



sisters. He has said that he cannot re- 
member when he could not read the 
Bible. He was a great reader, and 
eagerly devoured the books found in a 
small circulating library belonging in the 
town of Salisbury, and later the books in 
a similar library in Boscawen, where he 
was prepared for college by Rev. Samuel 
Wood. Previous to this he had part of 
two years at Exeter Academy. He 
entered Dartmouth College in 1797 when 
he was fifteen years old. He very much 
wished that his brother, Ezekiel, might 
have a college education, and after gradu- 
ation he accepted the position of princi- 
pal of the academy in Fryeburg, Maine, 
receiving as salary $350. He paid his 
living expenses by -copying deeds and 
other documents, and turned a good part 
of his year's salary over to his brother. 
He commenced the study of law and in 
1804 went to Boston where he entered the 
law office of Christo])her Gore. Soon he 
was offered the position as clerk of Hills- 
borough county, and his father very 
much desired him to accept, but Daniel 
wisely decided that he would rather earn 
his living by making paners than to copy 
those made by others, and much to the 
disappointment of his father, he returned 
to Boston. His father said to him, 
"Your mother always said you would 
amount to something or nothing. I 
think it will be nothing." After admis- 



sion to the l)ar in New Hampshire, he 
opened an office in Boscawen, where for 
about two years he met with but indif- 
ferent success and soon went to Ports- 
mouth. Here he was well matched by 
another great man, Jeremiah Mason. 
From Portsmouth he was first elected to 
Congress and at once took his place 
among- the leaders of his part3^ 

In 1816 he removed to Boston, deter- 
mined to give up politics and devote 
himself to business. But again he was 
chosen by the peo])le to represent ]\Iassa- 
chusetts in Congress, and here he com- 
menced to deliver those remarkable ora- 
tions which will endure so long as the 
United States remains a nation. In 1826 
he was chosen United States Senator and 
in 1830 he made that speech in reply to 
Robert Y. .Hayne of South Carolina 
Avhich was heralded as one of the great- 
est efforts ever given in the National 
Ca]:)ital. 

While living in Boston and Washing- 
ton, Mr. Webster held his home at the 
W^ebster Place, it being his father's farm. 
It was not until 1824 that he first saw 
the Thomas Farm at Marshfield, Mass., 
which he later procured as his home, 
and where he died October 24, 1852. 
Thus we see that over half of his life 
was passed with his real home in New 
Hampshire, and after acquiring the home 
in Marshfield he retained his interest in 



the Elms Farm, spent his vacations there 
and greatly enjoyed fishing in the pretty 
sheet of water in Franklin, now called 
after him, Webster lake. 

Daniel AVebster was twice married, his 
first Vv ife being Grace Fletcher, daughter 
of Rev. Elijah Fletcher of Hopkinton. It 
does not appear that they made much of 
courtship, but were married at Salisbury, 
June 24, 1808. Twenty years later Mrs. 
\Vebster died, January 21, 1828, and 
Daniel is said to have made the state- 
ment that never after could he write her 
name without tears coming to his eyes. 

It was in 1830 that Daniel Webster 
came into full possession of the Elms 
Farm. While he greatly enjoyed the farm 
and its surroundings, yet there was a 
tinge of sadness connected with it as here 
his parents as well as brothers and sisters 
were buried. The graves of his parents 
were suitably marked a few years ago 
\\'ith a huge boulder, through the efforts 
of Abigail Webster Chapter, D. A. R., of 
h'ranklin. In December, 1829, ^^Ir. 
Webster was married a second time to 
Miss Caroline Le Roy, the daughter of a 
wealthy merchant in Xew York City. 

According to Curtis, Daniel Webster 
had five children : Grace Fletcher, born 
April 29, 1810, died January 23, 1817, 
aged 7 years. 

Julia, married S. A. Appleton of Bos- 
ton, born Tanuarv 16, 1818, died April 
28, 1848. ' ' 



Edward, born July 20. 1820. died Janu- 
iiary 23, 1848, aged 28 years. 

Charles, born December 21, 1822, died 
December 18, 1824, aged 2 years. 

Fletcher, born July 23, 1813. ^yas the 
onlv one of his children liyinsf at the time 
of Mr. A\>bster's death. He had a home 
near his father's in Alarshheld. 

There are many interesting- anecdotes 
of Mr. AVebster as a boy and man. 
Those in his young life \yere connected 
with his residence in Salisbur}', now 
Franklin. One of interest is that when 
about four years old, he went with his 
father to the farm which was first owned, 
and \N'hile there his father thought to 
catch a mess of trout. Just below the 
bridge is a big rock, and as father and 
son climbed upon this rock, Daniel asked 
if he "might catch a fish." The rod was 
placed in his hands and the bait dropped 
into the stream. A big trout took the 
hook, and instead of Daniel pulling the 
fish out of the water, the fish pulled 
Daniel in. His father caught him, and 
pulling him out, found that the little lad 
still retained his hold upon the pole and 
at the end of the line was the big trout. 

.Another story is that at the age of 12 
to 14. it was of fen his task to watch the 
big up and down saw cut its way through 
the big logs. It was a slow process and 
while the saw ate its way along, Daniel 
passed the time in profitable reading". 

10 



The story has often been told of his 
first plea. At the home on the river road 
there was a woodchuck Avhich was 
making havoc of the good things in the 
familv garden. It was decided that the 
marauder should be punished, and a box 
trap was set. The next day the wood- 
chuck was in the trap, and Ezekiel was 
for killing the animal at once. Daniel 
objected, and the father said, he would 
be the Judge and the boys should argue 
the case. Ezekiel was first and put up a 
strong argument, showing the damage 
done and likely to be repeated, etc. Mr. 
\\'e]:)ster thought the case well pre- 
sented, but waited to hear Daniel before 
rendering a decision. Daniel put up the 
plea that the animal had as much right 
to live as we have, that it did not know 
right from wrong, that it took its food 
in the natural way, without considering 
whether or not it was as nature pro- 
vided, that it was weak, and he called 
attention to the pleading look in the 
eyes of the frightened animal. He had 
hardly concluded when his father shout- 
ed, "Zeke, you let that woodchuck go !'' 

The story of the scythe was one of 
great interest to all farmers' sons as well 
as to older people. It was haying time, 
and in those days there were no mowing 
machines and all grass was cut with 
scythes. ]\Ir. AVebster rigged up a scythe 
and snath and giving it to Daniel sent 

11 



him into the field. The day was hot, the 
grass stout and heavy, and the boy soon 
tired of the work. Coming to an oak 
tree that stood l)eside the highway he 
hooked the scythe over a low liml) and re- 
clined upon the new mown hay. At noon 
his father asked him how his scythe hunsf, 
and the immediate reply was, ''It hangs 
just right to suit me." 

It is an interesting fact that as a school 
boy in Exeter, Daniel could never ''speak 
a piece" before the school. Often he 
would commit a declamation to memory, 
but when called upon to stand and de- 
liver before the school, he could not do it." 

Daniel ^^'ebster was of a strong re- 
ligious mind. At the age of twenty-five 
he joined the church in vSalisbury and his 
pew was retained until his death. Re- 
cently when the church was remodeled 
and new pews installed, the AA'ebster 
pew was carefully taken out. and is now 
in one of the rooms of the Webster 
mansion, now the office building of the 
N. H. Or])hans' Home. John Colby, who 
married Daniel's half sister, Susannah, 
was a very profane man. In course of 
time Mr. Colby became converted. Mr. 
Webster was greatly interested in this 
and made a journey to the Colby farm 
to see and talk with his brother-in-law. 
The meeting was ideal, and together 
these two men offered up their prayers 
to the God of the Universe. 

12 



) 



In the second volume of the Life of 
Daniel Webster, George T. Curtis gives 
^Ir. Webster's creed as follows : — 

*' 'Lord I believe, help Thou my unbe- 
lief.' 

"Philosophical argument, especially 
that drawn from the vastness of the uni- 
verse in comparison with the apparent in- 
significance of this globe, has sometimes 
shaken my reason for the faith that is in 
me; but my heart has assured, and re- 
assured me, that the Gospel of Jesus 
Christ must be a Divine Reality. 

''The Sermon on the ]\lount cannot 1)e 
a merely human production. This belief 
enters into the very depth of my con- 
science. The whole history of man 

proves it. • 

Dan'l Webster." 

Mr. Webster was often mentioned as 
candidate for president, and as often dis- 
appointed in not receiving the nomina- 
tion. It is thought that this disappoint- 
ment may have hastened his death, 
although he never expected to attain to 
great age. 

The end came at the home in Marsh- 
field. He was confined to his bed but for 
a short time, and his vigorous mind was 
alert and capable to the last. He 
realized his condition, but faced the in- 
evitable with courage and a firm faith 
in the future. Only one child sur- 
vived him, Fletcher, and this son with 

13 



]\Irs. A\'ebster and a few intimate friends, 
were with him to the last. His death 
cast a gloom over the country second 
only to that which has been caused by 
the death in office of our highest rulers. 

His will was written by George T. 
Curtis, and when it was brought to him 
he asked if Mrs. A\^ebster and Fletcher 
would read it. Being told that they had. 
he asked if they were satisfied with it. 
Being assured by each that they were, he 
said, "Then let me sign now." He affixed 
his signature, and returning the pen said, 
"Thank God for strength to do a sensible 
act." In a few hours he had passed on. 

According to Curtis his last words 
were, "I still live." 

Mr. A\'ebster was born in Salisl^ury. 
N. H., now Franklin, January 18. 1782. 
and died at Marshfield, Mass., October 
24, 1852. 



14 



ORGANIZATION and WORK 

of the 
Daniel Webster Birthplace Ass'n. 



January 18, 1904, was a cold winter 
nig:ht. The writer of this little sketch 
w^as coming up from Boston on the late 
train, when at Concord a stranger came 
in the car and said he had been in Frank- 
lin and had arranged to purchase the 
birthplace of Daniel Webster. He 
wished the deed executed that night, as 
it was the anniversary of the birth of the 
great statesman. When the train ar- 
rived in Franklin the thermometer 
marked four degrees below zero, but a 
team was procured and the two men 
drove to the birthplace, then owned by 
George H. Hosmer, and the deed was 
written and executed before midnight. 
The buyer was Arthur C. Jackson. 

Three days later the Webster Birth- 
place association was formed in the office 
of Barron Shirley, in Franklin. There 

15 



were present Arthur C. Jackson, Omar 
A. Towne, Augustine R. Ayers, Barron 
Shirley and John A\'. Staples. ]\Ir. Jack- 
son was elected president, Dr. Staples, 
vice-president, j\lr. Towne, clerk, and 
^Ir. Ayers, treasurer. 

It was Mr. Jackson's intention to take 
the buildings from the Birthplace and 
carry them to St. Louis to be erected on 
the grounds of the St. Louis Exposition, 
which was to be held the following sum- 
mer. 

There was much opposition to this and 
as there was a mortgage on the place, 
held by the Franklin Building & Loan 
association, which refused to allow the 
buildings to be moved, the plan was 
given up. ]\Ir. Jackson did erect a build- 
ing on the Exposition grounds pat- 
terned after the large house which was 
Iniilt about 1796 by Mr. Sawyer. 

Mr. Jackson's venture was not a suc- 
cess and no payments were made on the 
mortgage note. The mortgage was 
finally foreclosed and the publication of 
that fact in daily and weekly papers of 
the state awakened an interest in Mr. 
Webster and his early life. The move- 
ment relative to forming a permanent or- 
ganization for the preservation of the 
buildings and farm originated with the 
Franklin Board of Trade at its meeting 
]\rarch 14. 1910. A resolution Avas offered 
by Hon. Edward G. Leach and was 



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adopted by unanimous vote. After a 
preamble defining its purposes the resolu- 
tion directed the President of the Board 
to appoint a committee. 

The resolution was as follows: "Re- 
solved — That a committee of nine citi- 
zens of Franklin and vicinity be selected, 
of whom the president shall be one, and 
the others selected by him, as a commit- 
tee to consider and formulate such plan 
of action as they may consider most ap- 
propriate for the accomplishment of the 
desired object." 

The committee appointed was Chief 
Justice Frank N. Parsons, ex-Senator 
William E. Chandler, Senator Jacob H. 
Gallinger, Hon. John R. Eastman, Hon. 
Edward G. Leach, Hon. Alvah W. Sullo- 
way, Hon. Clarence E. Carr, Hon. Omar 
A. Towne and Dr. John W. Staples, then 
president of the Board of Trade. 

It was not until October 26, of the 
same year that a permanent organization 
was perfected, with articles of association 
duly drawn and officers elected. The 
meeting at which this was done was held 
in the office of Hon. Frank N. Parsons, 
and the officers were as follows : 

President. Hon. A\'illiam E. Chandler 
of Concord. 

First Vice-President, Hon. Frank N. 
Parsons of Franklin. 

Treasurer, Dr. John W. Staples of 
Franklin. 

17 



Secretary, Omar A. Towne of Frank- 
lin. 

A committee on membership was ap- 
pointed consisting of Alvah AV. Sullo- 
way, Edward G. Leach, Augustine R. 
Ayers, Clarence E. Carr and Omar A. 
Towne. Steps were immediately taken 
to raise sufficient funds to purchase the 
farm, repair the large house and restore 
the small frame house which was built 
by Ebenezer A\>bster about 1781. 

A part of this house was standing, 
being used as a shed, or ell attached to 
the large two story house built by Mr. 
Sawyer. 

The first essential was to locate perma- 
nently the original site of the house in 
which Daniel Webster was born. To aid 
in this the association had the statement 
of Mr. Webster as published in George 
T. Curtis' Life of Daniel Webster. On 
page 5 of Volume 1, of said history, it 
was found stated in a foot note, "A 
sketch of the house in which Mr. 
Webster was born, drawn by Charles 
Lanman, Esq., and sanctioned by Mr. 
AA ebster, is prefixed to the first volume 
of his works." 

In excavating for the foundation of the 
original house it was found that the 
sketch by Mr. Lanman was practically 
correct, except that it was made to face 
the same way as was the large barn, 
whereas the foundations were found to 

18 



run the long way at right angles to those 
of the barn. 

These foundations were found to have 
been pried into the cellar around the top, 
and the cellar filled with debris. The 
foundations were broken doAvn about two 
feet below the surface of the ground. 
The lower part now is exactly as ex- 
cavated. The stones which had been 
pried into the cellar Avere found, as were 
the bricks with which the chimney and 
fire])lace were remade, and the large 
hearthstone, showing the effects of fire, 
now used in front of the fireplace. The 
door stone was also found in the cellar. 

The original part of the cottage was re- 
moved from its connection with the large 
house and the other half restored in ac- 
cord with the Lanman drawing, and in 
conformity with the discovered founda- 
tion. 

The restored house is nearly one-half 
the original building, and the other half 
is made to conform in lumber and car- 
pentry, as nearly as possible with the 
original building. 

Mr. A\'ebster was born in the south 
room, and the living room was where the 
fireplace now is. One can readily see 
that so small a house could be thoroughly 
warmed in the coldest weather, when the 
bricks in the large fireplace were heated. 

When sufficient money had been raised 
and the buildings restored, x\ugust 28, 

19 



1909, was set for due celebration of the 
Restoration of the Birth Place House of 
Daniel \\'ebster. Large numbers came 
from this and other states. Over three 
thousand people attended the ceremony. 

To the regret of all interested, Mr; 
Chandler could not ])e present owing to 
illness. Hon. Frank N. Parsons pre- 
sided and addresses were made by Ernest 
Fox Nichols, President of Dartmouth 
College, Plon. Samuel W. McCall of 
Massachusetts, Senator Jacob H. Gallin- 
ger of Concord, Hon. Samuel E. Pingree 
of Hartford, Vt., Hon. David H. Cross of 
INlanchester, Hon. Nahum J. Bachelder 
of Andover, Rev. Arthur Little of New- 
tonville, Mass., and Hon. Clarence E. 
Carr of Andover. The address prepared 
by Hon. William E. Chandler was read 
by Hon. George H. Moses of Concord. 
The invocation prayer was by Rev. R. P. 
Gardner, and the closing benediction by 
Rev. H. C. McDougall of Franklin. 

The title of the Birthplace remained in 
the Webster Birth Place association until 
September 24, 1917, when it was voted to 
present the same to the state of New 
Hampshire. The deed of transfer was 
drawn by Chief Justice Frank N. Par- 
sons, and the state accepted the gift. 

At the present time, 1922, the represen- 
tative of the state in the care of the Birth- 
place is W^arren F. Daniell and the care- 
taker is Harry E. Merrill. 

20 




Ex-Senator William E. Chandler. 

Great credit must be given to ex-Sen- 
ator William E. Chandler for the success- 
ful carrying out of plans for the restora- 
tion and subsequent presentation of the 
Birth Place to the state. He was inde- 
fatigable in his efforts to raise the neces- 
sary funds to have the work well done 
and to induce the state officials to accept 
the trust. 






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